Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-31

with small patches of cleared ground sur
rounding them, on which may be
seen little sickly corn. few
potatoes half smothered with weeds,
and perhaps wandering in the woods
near by q half-starved mule, COW
that evidently desires to hide her pro-
jecting bones, and possibly rszor-
backed SOW, around whose feet squeal
a litter CT sorry looking pigs. The good
white people OF the country hope that the
day is near at hand when the genial sun
light OF progress will dispel and drive
out the darkness that this unwelcome
class of humanity has imposed, and they
are making superhuman efforts to secure
two or three lines CT railway, believing
that they will bring in their wake in
dustry and thrift, and that the hsunts Of
the negro will be succeeded by neat,
tasty residences and well cultivated
fields.
The staple crop of Hardin county is po-
tetoes, though wheat and corn, consider
able tobacco, and little cotton is grown.
The soil is well adapted to the cultivs-
ton of the potato, and thousands Of
bushels are grown. Ten and twenty
acre fields are not uncommon, and the
yield per acre is large. Differing from
almost every other locality in the state,
the potato here is planted the first Of
June-some times as late es July. The
potato rsissT claims thst late planting in
sures dry, mealy vegetable, and he
seems to be right, for the Hardin county
potato enjoys high reputation in all the
markets along the Ohio and Missis-
sippi rivers.
Soon after the settlement of the county
nv yhitaa 10 Sisrovpry WOO do
that the earth along the hillsides and
through the ravines was full of lead, iron
and copper ores. The lead and iron ere
was ascertsined to be very rich, and
measures were Immediately taken to
open and work the mines. Mining TO q
greater or less extent has been going on
ever since. Six miles back from EliZ1-
BEETHOVEN an iron furnaceswas built, and
for many years successfully operated. 1t
being necessary to haul the pigs to the
river by wagon, of late years the iron
business has Jagged because the prodnct
could be marketed so much cheaper in
other parts of the country. Railroads
will develop the iron fields, however,
and work wonders for the county.
The most profitable lead mines are
situated near the Ohio river, at the town
OF Rose Clare. These mines had been
operated in g rude sort of wey for many
years before the war. That event raised
the price of lead all over the country, and
several shafts were sunk and extensive
smelling furnaces erected 81 Rose Clare.
Money WAS made in the business of
mining, and numerous parties became
suddenly rich. boom settled down
over Rose Clare and the surrounding
country like ray OF sunshine. 1t
was also discovered that the mineral
known IS feldspar and one or two
other varieties of the same mineral eX-
listed in large quantities in the range OF
hills skirting the village. This mineral is
largely used in the manufacture Of glass
and for tiuxing purposes. The late Rich
ard Smith, editor of the Cincinnati Ga
: Zette; L. G. Hopkins, a capitalist of this
city, and several moneyed men from CHI
cago came down and examined the lead
mines and the new find of feldspar. The
result wss the formation of stock COM
pany and the purchase of tract OF land
embracing what was supposed to cover
the riches veins of the minerals. Exten-
siye and costly works were erected, shafts
l were sunk, and the glittering ore and
: precious mineral brought up by the ton.
The excitement grew, as it was supposed
that fortunes could be made at little or
no cost. The lands Of all the surround
ing country went up like a balloon and
soon sold readily at $40. 900 per acre
Deacon Smith and his company
(, made cords Of money for time;
they mined the lead ore ans
/ the feldspar, smelling the former
, which yielded on an average 80 per cent
of pure lead, and crushed ard ground the
latter into fine -four, and ran their ma
} chimes night and day for year or more
In the meantime lead declined in price
the market became glutted with the
q crushed feldspar, the excitement ovel
prospective fortunes waned, and the bot
5 tom dropped out of the Doom. Still TIT
q deacon and his assoc: ates held on to VIVA
i they verify believed to be the bigges
thing on earth. After while, like the
n man who had the bear by the tail, tie
e began to look around for sone one to hell
them let go. No one came, and the re
s suit can easily be imagined. Several o
: the weaker members of the company wer
e ruined, and it is said that Deacon Smitl
q and his nest intimate associa' e, Mr.. Hop
Q kins, dropped about $50, 900 each at Ros
e Clare. The mammoth works that the
e erected are still standing there, but or
= as silent as the grave-in fact, they er
. literally rotting down. The greet ele
q vator, reaching over hundred feet int
Is the air, is now used as horse and COY
d stable. The lead and feldspar mines sr
n still operated, however, by parties VIII
20 are content to 60 much slower than tn
W deacon Richard Smith Company.
d Thousands Of tons OF feldspsr are mine
and shipped to New Albany and othe
te glass manufacturing centers, snd les
d smelter is doing paying business. Tn
: lands that once sold for $4,000 per ecr
n can be bought st prices ranging from 81
"a to $50 to-day, and the city Of Rose Clare
that few years ago was scene OF bus
ID tie, excitement and hope, is but qu!e
IN little village, without even hotel.
lie has postoftiee, but it's dailY mail Nigh
is easily be carried in an ordinary plug ha
ID a few mi es west Of this village are Sit
10 uated the copper mines. 1t was only
II few years ago that the discovery wa
O. MADE that copper existed in the county
l. The work Of prospecting was immediate
81 ~ commenced and the fact demonstrate
Re tnat the precious ore lay at q great deptl
81 possibly three or four hundred feet belo'
- the Drfsca The owner of tho land n